Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Due to the ever-growing world trade fluctuations between the values of the currencies around the world also increased significantly. To do this, follow the countries have different exchange rate systems are available currencies against a foreign currency and the foreign currency market.These regimes are closely related to the monetary policy of the country. They both are actually dependent on several common factors. These regimes have proved to be beneficial particularly for developing countries as they can avoid serious fluctuations in their currency value.

Due to the ever-growing world trade fluctuations between the values of the currencies around the world also increased significantly. So follow the countries have different exchange rate systems available are currency against a foreign currency and the foreign currency market.These regimes are closely related to the monetary policy of the country. They both are actually dependent on several common factors. These regimes have proved to be beneficial particularly for developing countries as they can avoid serious fluctuations in their currency value.

Due to the ever-growing world trade fluctuations between the values of the currencies around the world also increased significantly. So follow the countries different exchange rate systems available, its currency in relation to a foreign currency and the foreign currency market.These regimes are closely related to the monetary policy of the country. They both are actually dependent on several common factors. These regimes have proved to be beneficial particularly for developing countries as they can avoid serious fluctuations in their currency value.

Due to the ever increasing global trade, the fluctuations between the values of currencies across the world have also increased considerably. Thus the countries follow different types of exchange rate regimes available in order to manage its currency with respect to a foreign currency and the foreign exchange market. These regimes are closely related to the monetary policy of the country. They both are actually dependent on several common factors. These regimes have proved to be beneficial particularly for developing countries as they can avoid serious fluctuations in their currency value.

Often the US is said to be a bully, and I'm not sure if that is a fair comment, because it seems as if the rogue regimes around the world are so often poking and prodding us, testing us, and pushing their way in international negotiations.
Not only that, but if they, often immoral, for reasons to do, while you continue to dismiss the concepts of freedom, of freedom and of human rights in their own country. The United States must stand for something more and stay with our ideal.

Often the US is said to be a bully, and I'm not sure if that is a fair comment, because it seems as if the rogue regimes around the world are so often poking and prodding us, testing us, and pushing their way in international negotiations.
Not only that, but if they do, they do for reasons often immoral, while you continue to dismiss the concepts of freedom, of freedom and of human rights in their own country. The United States should stand for something more and stay with our ideal.

The problems in Iran, on the surface, are the result of a disputed election, but when you dig a little deeper the real difficulty, at its core, is a conflict of beliefs. To change regimes then, there must be a change of ideas.
Since the street protests are to be truly effective, must begin with a different kind of campaign. The violent suppression of violence by attempting to justify the position of the current regime. They are constantly a threat as a force for order Gekantheid a system to public actions to thwart change? The only way to fight against the current regime is discover that ideas and beliefs, which are at the root of the problem and the attack at this level.

Friday, November 29, 2013

I own gold and silver and precious metals. I own all commodities, which is a better way to play as they debase currencies. I own more agriculture than just about anything else in real assets because of the reasons we discussed before.

We were talking before about the risk-free or worry-free investment. Even gold: the Indian politicians are talking about coming down hard on gold, and India is the largest buyer of gold in the world. If Indian politicians do something -- whether it’s foolish or not is irrelevant -- if they do something, gold could go down a lot. So I own it. I’m not selling it. But everything has problems.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A dental inlay is a very complete, except that to chew on it within the bumps on the surface of the tooth. A dental onlay stands for multiple spikes or bumps and are larger than inlays.
Deposits or inlay, are smaller, but larger crowns, fillings. These are made of composite resin, ceramic or gold and can be connected to set. They are long lasting, and their life span is variable, depending on the need for the usual teeth, the treatment materials, chewing pressure, where is located, and passed the patients oral hygiene habits

Thursday, November 7, 2013

In general, car accident lawyer reno who advertises has ‘volume’ practices. This means they handle a large number of relatively uncomplicated cases. Large numbers of people respond to their ads; then they choose the cases that look the easiest (and most lucrative) to handle. If your situation is uncomplicated, you may get good service from someone who advertises. However, you are less likely to receive personalized, detail- oriented service from a lawyer who has a volume practice. Such a lawyer may (as a result of the volume) charge less. Put any candidates who interest you on your list for further investigation, but do not let that be the limit of your search. Do not be afraid to interview the lawyer.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

I have to confess, as a blogger I have always loved city elections the most. Yea, they aren't as fun in terms of policy as state and federal elections where I can feed my inner wonk, but everyone loves a good train wreck.
And candidates for city elections have a tendency to be walking train wrecks. Its the place where the ankle-biters, weirdos, nutcases, and the eccentric try their hand a politics.
But since this is the holiday season, I feel like being generous so I'll tell you exactly “ How to win an election” in this town. This is a total freebie people. And don't worry, I'm not giving away the nuclear launch codes here. I'm just telling you what has worked for WINNING campaigns.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

To start right off, it is good to describe what positive thinking is all about. Basically, positive thinking involves just what the phrase implies: having a positive attitude towards things. By thinking that you will have good, better and more favorable results whenever you encounter a difficult situation, positive thinking will work by 'attracting' the positive outcome that you are thinking about.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Office with the temporary housing section relates normally to a portable office, which are given for the used portable buildings for sale. The use of cellular acclimation address can accession a safe activity ambiance and comfortable, and complete for about any location. They may able acclimatize from acclimation to acclimation circuitous connected, some huts, and they can activity rooms, bathrooms, accession and cafeteria. Workplace acclimation amidst over a amphitheatre attic or added attic with a soft-sided stainless steel. This allows the layers sink, hall, worksheets, and harder floors durable. The showers and toilets are developed to accommodated the requirements of education, the a lot of from the acclimation industry, and health.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

REO Rockstar is a new program being promoted by Preston Ely
which claims to give anyone the ability to flip foreclosed homes
each month, without using any money or credit, and without any
risk.
Traditionally, the term “flipping houses” comes from
a real estate investment concept centered on buying cheap homes,
fixing them up, and then quickly turning around selling them for a
profit.
Unlike the traditional method of flipping houses, Ely says that
you will not need to do any work on the houses you acquire –
in fact, according to his presentation, with the REO Rockstar
system you can get a house and flip it for a profit in less than
two hours.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Want to know some interesting facts about culinary arts? Well, as most people know, the culinary arts revolve around culinary arts and food, and they include everything from restaurant management and hospitality management to food science and food safety. Someone who works in any of these areas is called a "culinarian," and that includes everyone from food service workers to creators of the fantastic pastry arts.

Monday, August 19, 2013

If you are not from, have no relative in, nor have yet visited Jamaica, I would at least assume you have heard of Jamaica, right?.
Whether it is from the internet, television, your work or in some movie? Is my assumption correct?
But even if you are familiar with Jamaica, I can probably bet you (and win) you never knew half of these interesting facts on Jamaica.

Friday, August 16, 2013

In many ways blind dating is no different than any other type of dating. The basic elements of dating still exist but you do need to exercise more caution in a blind date. Like any other date you want a blind date to go well so that you can ensure yourself a second date. However, while it is important to exercise caution in all types of dating it's even more important in blind dating. Another factor unique to blind dating is getting set up with a great date. While this may not always be in your hands there are some ways that you can take some initiative in this area.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Making sense of car insurance can be daunting given the various different coverage options available. What does each one cover, when do you need to get it and when is just not worth the money you pay. Well they say knowledge is power and we'll be giving you some today. This article will talk about a few of the most popular car insurance coverage and (hopefully) help you decide whether you need them or not. When you compare auto insurance quotes online, it's important that you pick a company not just on the basis of the rates they give you, but also whether the amount of coverage they give you is worth the price.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

I know I need to consult with all kinds of legal experts before this article written. But if they said that we probably this anyway would have written.
Why? leads for roofers, roofing contractors and the contractors that actually we are very proud trade and industry on our. We are working hard to credibility in an industry that has to struggle with problems, and if something is so far that it borders mainly from the age old trusted sources... in misleading, Well, have we just say.

They must be for something in this life, which they say.
Well, to start, it is not, we could have some dramatic conspiracy, have uncovered a committed or even lies, but we worried about the perception or the understanding that some of the different information in our media specifically read opinions or reviews for gravel.
Enough of that and further to what is at stake here. It depends on the presentation of real roofing more specifically in this case reviews, reviews, gravel, which are obvious, and let not the potential consumer thinking something that is actually wrong.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

As we start to research log homes, it quickly becomes apparent
that there is much more variety than one would ever think. Not only do
log homes come in all shapes and sizes, but the logs themselves come in
as many variations as you can imagine. Once you decide on the look you
want, you can start eliminating manufacturers that don't provide your
system.

There are two categories of log homes: handcrafted and
milled log homes. Initially, you may not realize what you are looking
at, but there are some basic guidelines that will clarify the
differences. A handcrafted log home is just that; the logs are peeled
by hand, notched by hand, and in many cases, each log is scribed to fit
exactly on top of another log. In many handcrafted homes, the logs are
stacked alternately, so the large end of a log is stacked on top of the
tapered end of the log beneath. A milled log home will feature logs
that are uniform in shape, and the logs will be cut to fit together,
such as with a tongue-and-groove or Swedish cope, so that they stack
easily and evenly. There is a big price difference between a
handcrafted and a milled log home. This is mostly because of the
intense labor required to construct a handcrafted home, and because of
the larger diameter logs that are normally used. The vast majority of
homes built today are milled log homes.

If you see a log home with
round logs and chinking, that is a first indication that this is could
be a handcrafted log home. Chinking was historically a mortar-like
material that filled the gaps between the logs. Modern science has
created an acrylic compound that expands and contracts with the wood; it
is applied as a wide white stripe. If a handcrafted log is not
scribed, then chinking is a must because the logs leave gaps along their
length. Some people do use chinking as a design feature even when it's
not necessary, though for the most part milled log homes are not
chinked.

The characteristic corner of your log home will speak
volumes to the person who knows how to read it. The profile and joinery
system of the log will usually be reflected on the ends. For instance,
on a handcrafted log home you'll see the different diameters of the
stacked logs. To stack them, these corners will be notched so that each
log sits directly on the log below it (like a Lincoln Logs(TM) toy). A
milled log that is saddle-notched will stack the same way (of course,
every log will look exactly the same). Because saddle-notched logs are
staggered, course to course, the log ends will be visible on the
interior corners of the house as well as the exterior. This gives a
very rustic look. A butt-and-pass corner gives you an end where there
is a space between every other log. This is because one log butts up
against the intersecting log, which runs past it. These logs are all
laid on the same course, so that with the interior corners of your home,
the logs will come to a squared edge.

On milled logs, there are
many joinery systems to choose from. Today, the most popular joinery
is called a "Swedish cope". This is where each log is scooped out to
fit snugly on the curve of the log beneath. It gives a very smooth and
natural look. Another joinery system is the tongue-and-groove, or
double tongue-and-groove depending on the manufacturer. The tongues are
cut into the top of the log and corresponding grooves at the bottom.
These create a tight fit and stack easily. A more traditional, early
American notch is called the dove-tail, which is a mortise and tenon
notch usually cut into squared timbers. There are many other corner
systems available, but these are the most commonly used.

The
shape, or profile of your log is another feature which will help you
decide what kind of package to purchase. Many people prefer a "D" log,
which is round on the outside and flat on the inside. This gives you a
horizontal wood-paneling look, and is easy to hang pictures on. Others
prefer a round log, which is a little more rustic and presents many
challenges - such as how to join the logs to the sheetrock. Squared
timbers, which give a more Appalachian look to the home, tend to be
tall and fairly narrow, and are often grooved for the application of
chinking.

The average milled log home will use pine logs in 6" and 8"
diameters. You can also find them in 10" and 12" diameters. Anything
larger than 15" will probably roll you over to a handcrafted home.
Cedar logs are an upgrade, and can be found in 6", 8" and occasionally
10" diameters. Some manufacturers more rarely use oak, cypress, fir,
hemlock, larch, poplar, spruce, and walnut. These rarer woods will be a
price upgrade. Because of the superior log care products on the market
today that protect all the logs effectively, the wood species largely
becomes a matter of personal taste. The best rule of thumb when
choosing log species is to stay with a wood that is native to your area.
The logs will adapt to the environment more comfortably.

Newcomers
are continually amazed to discover that the logs are their own
insulation. To compare a stick-frame wall to a log wall by using the
"R-value" is not comparing "apples to apples". Logs have a lower
"R-value" than insulated 2x4 walls. However, they work on the principal
of thermal mass. Because of the cellular structure of logs, they tend
to absorb the heat and hold it longer than traditional walls. The logs
will actually absorb the heat from the interior of the house (or from
the sun, if facing south), and when the temperature drops at night, the
walls will generate that heat back into the house until the
temperatures equalize. They take longer to warm up, and stay warm much
longer. Conversely, they stay cooler in the summertime.

Some
producers feature a half-log system, where the logs are attached
outside-and-inside to 2x4 or 2x6 stick-frame walls. This adds the extra
R-value of an insulated wall, along with the beauty of the log, and
also makes it easier to install electrical wiring. Ultimately, these
systems are a bit more expensive than full-log, because of the
additional cost of the lumber. But they do give the added ability to
vary the interior of your house, so that some interior walls could be
sheetrock, stone, or tongue-and-groove. In any case, many modern
manufacturers use the half-log system on their second floor, to
compensate for the huge windows, which may displace so many logs that
the wall's integrity could be compromised. Also, because the large
windows settle at a different rate than logs, the stick-framed second
floor equalizes the overall settling. With the best manufacturers, you
won't be able to tell on the outside where the full logs end and the
half logs begin.

Once you've chosen what kind of log you want, you
will discover that manufacturers each specialize in their own unique
fastening system. Almost all manufacturers use double-sided foam tape
between log courses. Some companies use lag screws, threaded bolts, or
spikes to add integrity to the walls; others use fancy spring-loaded
through bolts that compress the logs. Once again, the choice becomes a
personal preference.

It would save a lot of work for the buyer to
get a "turnkey" price on the logs, the lumber, the windows and doors,
and the roof - what is commonly known as a "weathered-in shell".
However, this complete system only makes sense if you are local to the
manufacturer; otherwise, you'll be spending thousands of dollars to ship
ordinary lumber across the country. After all, there is no difference
between a roof used on an ordinary house and a roof used on a log home.
You choose the kind of roof you want, but it'll come from the same
manufacturer. The same goes for the floors, the doors, the kitchen, and
the heating system. Windows can be a little tricky; you'll have to
find a manufacturer that is willing to make a extended window-sill (or
jamb) to accommodate the thickness of the logs. Most major window
companies are able to do this.

Remember that log homes are
completely custom. No log home company will offer you a choice of
kitchens or bathrooms like a development builder. You will have to shop
for these yourself, and the possibilities are limitless. Your builder
may make some decisions for you, but you will be better served to pick
your own flooring, light fixtures, faucets and even door knobs. Most
manufacturers do not want to have anything to do with the foundation;
that is not their business. You can use any kind of foundation you
want, but you'll need to contact a local contractor to do that job, or
have your builder do so.

Almost all log home manufacturers have an in-house architect who
will configure your plan to fit their own particular system. Unless you
have a lot of money to burn, don't hire an outside architect to design
your house, because the manufacturer will have to rework the plans
anyway. If you want a quick start, the manufacturer will have a set of
stock plans for you to choose from, and alter to fit your needs. Or you
can design your home from scratch, and give them a rough set of
drawings from which they will devise a set of building plans. This
service is usually offered at no extra charge; there may be an up-front
fee that is credited toward the final cost of the package.

Log
homes are not maintenance-free - nor are they overwhelmingly laborious.
Although the products on today's market do a fantastic job of
protecting the logs from sun, rain and insects, they do need to be
re-applied ever three to five years depending on the wall exposure.
This "maintenance coat" is much easier to apply than the original coats
of stain, and no, you don't have to strip off the old coat first. So
it's not as bad as it sounds! However, you must inspect the logs at
least once a year for excessive cracking (or checking) - especially when
the check opens upward, creating a water trap. These need to be
caulked on the exterior walls. Also, do everything in your power to
direct rainwater away from the house; if you have an overflowing gutter,
deal with it at once. A damp log attracts rot and insects.

Expect
your milled log home to take anywhere from 4 to 8 months to construct,
depending on your weather, the availability of the crew (are they
sharing your job with others at the same time?) and your planning. The
most important thing you have to plan for is protecting the logs and the
lumber from the elements. Set aside a large space (preferably covered
with gravel) exclusively for the logs; you don't want them sitting in
the mud. Cover your gravel with a tarp, and bring extra tarps for the
logs. The logs are going to get scattered as the crew picks through
them, and they're going to get stepped on and tossed around. They're
going to get rained on, and you'll be amazed how quickly the logs
weather. You'll have to immediately remove the plastic wrapping when
the logs are delivered, or they'll get covered with mildew. The tarps
will do the job. If your windows get delivered with the log package,
you'd be best served to rent an enclosed trailer to store them in
(FRAGILE is the operative word).

But I'm getting ahead of myself.
As you may have gathered, people who build log homes tend to be more
hands-on than with other kinds of construction. Log home customers are
usually very well informed by the time they break ground - and they need
to be! Cost overruns are often caused by unforeseen difficulties, and
since your house is a one-of-a-kind, you're in for quite a challenge.
Luckily, the industry has matured quite a bit, and you are no longer
completely on your own.

Monday, May 20, 2013

It happens without warning. One day you notice your home has
turned into a collage of papers, junk, and stuff - everywhere. You're
not alone. Today more than ever it seems that the flotsam and jetsam of
living, like the waves of an ocean, continually beat at our doors,
flooding our houses with all manner of stuff until our homes are bulging
at the seams. A typical home is now cluttered and dirty to the point of
exhaustion -- yours.

All this accumulation also makes going home,
or being at home, fill us with a sense of dread because we're
overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things surrounding us. Once islands
in the stream, many homes are often now just as jumbled, crowded, dirty,
and chaotic as the public places we try to escape from. Housekeeping
and cleaning house is not the greatest of fun, but it is vital to our
well-being.

Recently a study by the UCLA Center for Everyday Lives
of Families found that families are overscheduled, child-dominated, and
cluttered. The study touched on something that's become a common
problem in most households today: too much stuff. And all that stuff,
makes us feel out of control.

Could your home be out of control?

If
you have a perfectly ordered home or just don't care about the state of
your surroundings, then having an out of control home isn't a problem.
But, if the thought of your home raises your blood pressure to an
unhealthy level or spending time there would make you rather have your
teeth drilled, then you do have a problem - and you may have a home
that's out of control.

An out of control home is a source of
frustration, embarrassment, and tension. So where do you start if this
describes your home? The first step in learning how to cope with an out
of control home is to recognize the signs. Only then can you address the
problem.

The 8 Signs You Have an Out of Control Home (OOCH)

1. It's messy.

Anything
that can be straightened up in five minutes or less does not qualify as
messy. A truly messy house has been hit by more than its fair share of
bombs: toy bombs, clothes bombs, paper bombs (magazines, mail, and other
piles of paper), dirt bombs (general dirt and debris), pet bombs (hair,
smell, food), collectible or hobby bombs, etc. And, the mess is
everywhere: the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, the bedroom.

2. It's disorganized.

No
one can find anything, from the car keys to last year's tax returns. A
disorganized home is one where too much time is spent looking for
things, and where you have doubles or triples of everything because when
you couldn't find what you were looking for, you went out and bought
another to replace the one you couldn't find.

3. It stinks.

The
smell can come from the puppy training on the new carpet, the moldy
smell from the roof leak, the cat box that's never changed, or the trash
that everyone forgets to take out.

4. It's dirty.

This
is that garden-variety filth that makes you hope no one will ever come
to visit. It's the ring in the toilet, the dust bunnies the size of
Dallas, and the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling that wave gently in the
breeze. The dirt is pervasive and ground in.

5. It doesn't work.

This
is a home where the furniture is broken, the bed sags in the middle,
things don't work like they should, and repairs that need to be made
drag on for months or years. It's not truly functional and lots of
things have "work-arounds," such as pliers to turn on the washing
machine because the knob fell off.

6. It's anxiety-producing.

Does
the thought of going home make you feel anxious? If you're happier at
work or in places other than home, then chances are it's because your
home is out of control. It makes you uptight because it's dirty,
disorganized, or messy - or all three. And, when you're there, you can't
relax and you often find excuses to go somewhere else to unwind, such
as at the movies or driving in the country.

7. You avoid having visitors.

If
you feel panicked when the doorbell rings then you're living in an out
of control home. Guests should be a welcome sight in the house and you
should feel confident enough to invite visitors in.

8. It's cluttered.

If
every square inch of your home is covered with something, then you've
got too much stuff. There's got to be some open space somewhere in your
home because open space give us a "visual rest." Look at interior design
magazines and you'll notice the homes pictured in them because there
isn't stuff everywhere to distract you.

Most houses have out of control areas

Of
course not all homes are out of control, but many homes suffer from one
or more Out-Of-Control-Home (OOCH) symptoms, or they have an Out of
Control Area (OOCA). These are areas such as the laundry room or garage
that tends to get out of control, and most every home has one. But,
regardless of whether your home is truly OOCH or OOCA, it doesn't have
to stay that way. You can take steps to bring your house back to order
and get it under control.

The 8 Steps to Get Your Home Back in Control

1. Declutter and straighten first.

Take
a trash bag with you to each room, throwing away anything you no longer
want or that doesn't work. Take another box with you from room to room
for items you want to donate.

If you have paper bombs, clothes
bombs, and toy bombs that have gone off in your house, get these under
control. Handle the paper by throwing it away, recycling it, or filing
it. Get the clothes picked up and put in the wash, folded or hung up.
Next, corral the toys, throwing away what's broken. And practice saying
"When in doubt, throw it out."

Next, don't forget to contain yourself.
It's easy to work in the living room, pick a toy for your child and
wander into that room and then start working there. This is important:
Stay focused on the task and the room at hand or you won't get anything
done.

2. Clean second.

Now that the mess is handled
and everything is picked up, it's time to get down to serious cleaning.
Thoroughly clean each room, including the kitchen and laundry room, and
don't forget to sweep porches and walkways outside. Get kids to clean
the baseboards, windowsills, and clear the cobwebs from the corners of
ceilings. Go from one room to the next and don't leave until each room
is completely cleaned.

Lastly, schedule some hired help and have
your carpets and upholstery steam cleaned. Steam cleaning does not use
soap, which can make carpets get dirtier faster and actually attract
more dirt. This will also make your home smell better, too. Schedule
this at least once every year. If your house still smells musty, air it
out or consider having your heating and air conditioning vents cleaned.

3. Repair what's broken.

The
house is decluttered, clean, and now it needs to work. Fix broken panes
of glass, leaking faucets, or repaint water stains on the ceiling. Put
your husband on the job while you're cleaning or decluttering.

4. Edit your stuff.

Collections
and knick knacks everywhere is what's classified as clutter. Clutter is
a problem because of the emotions associated with it. For instance,
many people feel guilty about getting rid of things because certain
items were gifts or were inherited.

But the first rule of
clutter-busting is that you have to absolutely drop-dead love something
in order to keep it. If you just can't part with something, then don't.
Put all the items you can in a box and then put it into storage. Then
once you've forgotten about all those guilty feelings, you can put the
items in a garage sale, donate them, or just throw them away.

In
short, if your house is overrun with family pictures on every inch of
wall space, an explosion of sports memorabilia, or a porcelain pig
collection that won't end, for example, pare them down and then find one
central spot to display these items rather than spreading them all over
the house where they can make you feel overrun.

5. Create visual space.

Clear
as many items as possible off the floor, off the tops of dressers,
countertops and nightstands so your home will have plenty of clear
space. You know how a hotel room makes you immediately want to go flop
on the bed? That's because it's clean and clear. Clearing away excess
stuff will give your eyes -- and your mind -- a rest.

6. Get pets under control.

If
possible, evaluate your pet's impact on your home. Do what you can to
create a living situation where both you and your pets are happy, but
not where one of you is at the expense of the other. Many homes are
controlled by pets to the point that woodwork is scratched, the home is
damaged, every surface is covered with hair, and there is an unpleasant
odor in the home.

7. Organize your home.

Create areas
for coming and going where keys, backpacks, purses, wallets, mail, and
other needed items can be placed. This area should have a trashcan where
you can sort mail, and a small hanging basket where bills that need
immediate attention can be placed.

Then, work on organizing
bill-paying, files, warranty booklets, and all the little areas of your
home that get cluttered, such as medicine cabinets, home offices, desk
areas, pantries, laundry rooms, garages, spice cabinets, and so on.

8. Keep at it and involve everyone.

This
is probably the most important step for getting - and keeping - a home
under control. A home that's under control is not something that happens
once and then it's done, like taxes. Keeping your home in order is more
like exercise or taking vitamins. You have to keep at it. Keeping a
home in control is a process, not an event. I have to tell myself all
the time don't put it down, put it away.

It also takes commitment on everyone's part.
My pantry is an OOCA in my home mostly because an orderly pantry is
important only to me. But, a family meeting was called so that everyone
does their part at keeping the pantry orderly. It will also keep us from
having five boxes of raisin bran or three bags of marshmallows.

Bringing
your home into control is a wonderful way of bringing a sense of
accomplishment and order back into your life. It will also save you
money because you won't purchase multiple items because you can find
what you're looking for. It will also help you create a home that is
your refuge and where you enjoy spending your time. Lastly, it will make
you proud to live there and have guests over. Now, let's get to work!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

To paraphrase an old familiar quote that goes "there's gold in
them there hills, you could say, there's gold in that house. As Martha
Stewart would say, "it's a good thing".

A home equity loan can be a
very good thing if you formulate a plan and stick to it. Home equity
loans are becoming much more common and most banking companies have
specific re-financing plans available for today's consumer.

Read on and you will see that a home equity loan used for the proper purpose and managed correctly can indeed be a "good thing".

A Home Equity Loan - Just what is it?Types Of Home Equity Loans HEL or HELOC?

There
are two types of home equity loans. A regular home equity loan and the
home equity line of credit or HELOC. A regular home equity loan is a
fixed sum borrowed at a fixed rate over a period of time. A HELOC allows
the client to borrow various sums up to a fixed amount over a period of
time. A line of credit works in a similar way as a credit card; you use
it when you need it. Different States set their own laws on limits you
can borrow against your house.

The Financial Plan - Making your home equity work for you

For
a home equity loan to work best for you, it's a good idea to have a
budget and a financial plan. Having a budget will help you decide how
big a loan you need and a financial plan will be the map to accomplish
your goals within that budget. Here are a few suggestions on ways to use
a home equity loan.

1. Home Improvements

You may
want to build up the equity in your house by making home improvements.
The first and best place to visit is a home improvement warehouse store.
These stores, especially the large ones have whole rooms set up and
priced. Use caution however, husbands and wives have been known to have
gone into these rooms for days and when they came out they were
muttering "but I liked the blue room best."

2. Debt Consolidation

Pay off all the nagging little balances that seem to have accumulated on various store and gas cards in your wallet.

3. A holiday in the sun or snow!

It's
a matter of interest, if you shop around; you may find a couple of
percentage points on a home equity loan that can make a world of
difference. Consider a holiday South of the border or North to Canada.

Mexican
or Caribbean destinations are very attractive during the winter months
but if skiing and winter activities is more to your liking then consider
Vancouver, Canada. Whistler, British Columbia is one of the locations
that will host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Shop around for the best rates
and dream on.

4. A retirement Savings plan

It's not
an easy fact to accept but one day we will all need to retire. Planning
for retirement requires good financial decision making. Many banking and
financial companies offer free retirement planning advice. Some home
equity loans are designed to be used for investment purposes. Talk to a
trusted Financial Planner before signing the dotted line on this idea.

Loan Terms - Points To Ponder

Now
you have a plan and are ready to talk with a lending company. You may
want to do this on the Internet to save time and maybe a few dollars. If
that is the case then it is a must to know these terms. Before you
proceed to do some serious web surfing here are a few you will want to
become familiar with before you consider a home equity loan. These
points to ponder are:

Equity

Equity is the appraised value or Fair Market Value of your home less the outstanding mortgage balance.

Mortgage Broker

A
mortgage broker is the "go between" whom you pay to negotiate the best
deal. This person has access to current financial information and can be
very important if financial savvy is not your strong suit.

HELOC

A HELOC is a Home Equity Line Of Credit. This term is discussed under types of home equity loans.

Debt Consolidation Loan

Over
the years as you have paid off your home, you may have also acquired a
few credit cards along the line. These credit cards include gas cards,
store credit cards, and some bank credit cards. The interest rates on
these cards vary and you may find that you are paying through the nose
for the convenience of a store credit card. That is where a home equity
loan can be very handy. You can borrow the amount you need to pay off
each card and make one payment each month. With current financing plans,
one payment at the end of the month is less than the minimum payment
that was required on each card. Once you have done this, get out your
scissors and cut up all of the cards except one bank credit card for
emergencies. Remember the plan!

Balloon Loan

This
type of loan can be difficult. The first few payments are low with low
interest rates. The last payment however is exactly as the name
describes; a balloon. It is a very large payment at the end of the
repayment period. It is essential to stick to your financial plan
because in this case you may need another loan to pay off the balloon
amount.

Interest Rate

The periodic fee charged for a
loan. This is expressed as a percentage point and some financial
institutions are offering approximately 5.6% on a thirty year fixed
$150,000.00 home equity loan. The lower the interest rate the better the
deal, just make sure you aren't negotiating a balloon loan though.

Transaction Fee

Unfortunately
no matter how good the deal on the loan you get, there is no free ride.
In the business of credit management someone has to make money in order
for home equity loans to exist. There will be some type of transaction
fee built into the loan application. Lenders have costs and these costs
are passed along to the consumer as a transaction fee. Depending on the
loan company you decide to use, a transaction fee can be lower or
higher, so make sure you shop around.

FICO Score

A
sliding scale based on a point score created by the Fair Isaac
Corporation. This score is used to determine a borrower's behavior and
potential risk factor.

Credit Rating

Using the point
system based on the FICO score, a credit rating can be anywhere from
poor to excellent. With a good to excellent FICO score, a person's
credit rating can determine how much money can be borrowed and what
interest rate will be charged.

Re-Financing - Finding A Gold Mine In Your Home

Many
people consider their home to be their castle but few consider that
they could be living on a potential gold mine. If you have lived in your
house for 10 years and have been making payments, especially bi-monthly
payments, you have built up a considerable amount of equity. Pair that
with a good FICO score and there is indeed gold in that there house.

What's Your Fico?

Mortgage
Brokers use a FICO scale to determine the amount of money you can
borrow against your home and at what interest rate you can borrow this
money. This number is between 300 - 850 points and showcases a person's
credit history.

This scale was developed in California by the Fair Isaac
Corporation, a global decision management company. A credit rating of
700 points is considered "good" and based on a $150,000.00 fixed thirty
year mortgage, your rate of interest would be 5.7 percent VS 9.3% if
your FICO score was below 600 points. Having a high FICO entitles you to
borrow more money at a better rate.

Improving Your Fico

You've
taken the test, (which is available at most lenders websites), and your
score is not as stellar as you had hopped it would be. There are a
couple of ways to improve this score:

1. Pay all your bills on time.

2. Keep a small balance on one credit card to keep it "active".

The
FICO website gives you all the "who, what, where, when and why" of the
two above suggestions. You can read about the rationale in great detail
at that site.

Buyers Beware

With today's credit
options and a good credit rating, you can borrow a lot of money against
your home. This ability if not used responsibly and with a good solid
financial plan can be ruinous. Some borrowers have gotten over their
head and ultimately had to file for bankruptcy. So beware of potential
risks.

Home Equity Loans - A Golden Opportunity

As
you can see, a home equity loan is a great way to improve your living
space, go on a holiday, plan for retirement or pay off some debts. With
the right combination of a good FICO score and proper planning, there
really is gold in that there house.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Every year, several thousand people develop an interest in "going
into business." Many of these people have an idea, a product or a
service they hope to promote into an in come producing business which
they can operate from their own homes.

If you are one of these people, here are some practical thoughts to consider before hanging out the "Open-for-Business" sign.

In
areas zoned "Residential Only," your proposed business could be
illegal. In many areas, zoning restrictions rule out home businesses
involving the coming and going of many customers, clients or employees.
Many businesses that sell or even store any thing for sale on the
premises also fall into this category.

Be sure to check with your
local zoning office to see how the ordinances in your particular area
may affect your business plans. You may need a special permit to
operate your business from your home; and you may find that making small
changes in your plan will put you into the position of meeting zoning
standards.

Many communities grant home occupation permits for
businesses that involve typing, sewing and teaching, but turn thumbs
down on requests from photographers, interior decorators and
home-improve ment businesses to be run from the home. And often, even
if you are permitted to use your home for a given business, there will
be restrictions that you may need to take into consideration. By all
means, work with your zoning people, and save yourself time, trouble and
dollars.

One of the requirements imposed might be off-street
parking for your customers or patrons. And, signs are generally
forbidden in residential districts. If you teach, there is almost always
a limit on the number of students you may have at any one time.

Obtaining
zoning approval for your business, then, could be as simple as filling
out an application, or it could involve a public hearing. The important
points the zoning officials will consider will center around how your
business will affect the neighborhood.

Will it increase the
traffic noticeably on your street? Will there be a substantial in
crease in noise? And how will your neighbors feel about this business
alongside their homes?

To repeat, check into the zoning
restrictions, and then check again to determine if you will need a city
license. If you're selling something, you may need a vendor's license,
and be required to collect sales taxes on your transactions. The sales
tax requirement would result in the need for careful record keeping.

Licensing
can be an involved process, and depending upon the type of business, it
could even involve the inspection of your home to determine if it meets
with local health and building and fire codes. Should this be the
case, you will need t o bring your facilities up to the local standards.
Usually this will involve some simple repairs or adjustments that you
can either do personally, or hire out to a handyman at a nominal cost.

Still
more items to consider: Will your homeowner's insurance cover the
property and liability involved in your new business? This must
definitely be resolved, so be sure to talk it over with your insurance
agent.

Tax deductions, which were once one of the beauties of
engaging in a home business, are not what they once were. To be
eligible for business related deductions today, you must use that part
of your home claimed exclusively and regularly as either the principal
location of your business, or the place reserved to meet patients,
clients or customers.

An interesting case in point: If you use
your den or a spare bedroom as the principal place of business, working
there from 8:00 to 5:00 every day, but permit your children to watch TV
in that room during the evening hours, the IRS dictates that you cannot
claim a deduction for that room as your office or place of business.

There
are, however, a couple of exceptions we will note to the "exclusive
use" rule. One is the storage of inventory in your home, where your
home is the location of your trade or business, and approval for your
business, then, could be as sour trade or business is the selling of
products at retail or wholesale. According to the IRS, such storage
space must be used on a regular basis, and be a separately identifiable
space.

Another exception applies to day care services that are
provided for children, the elderly, or physically or mentally
handicapped. This exception applies only if the owner of the facility
complies with the state laws for licensing.

To be eligible for
business deductions, your business must be an activity under taken with
the intent of making a profit. It's presumed you meet this requirement
if your business makes a profit in any two years of a five-year period.

Once
you are this far along, you can deduct business expenses such as
supplies, subscriptions to professional journals, and an allowance for
the business use of your car or truck. You can also claim deductions
for home related business expenses such as utilities, and in some cases,
even a new paint job for your home.

The IRS is going to treat the
part of your home you use for business as though it were a separate
piece of property. This means that you'll have to keep good records and
take care not to mix business and personal matters. No specific method
of record keeping is required, but your records must clearly justify
any deductions you claim.

You can begin by calculating what
percentage of the house is used for business, either by number of rooms
or by area in square footage. Thus, if you use one of five rooms for
your business, the business portion is 20 percent. If you run you r
business out of a room that's 10 by 12 feet, and the total area of your
home is 1,200 square feet, the business-space factor is 10 percent.

An
extra computation is required if your business is a home day care
center. This is one of the exempted activities in which the exclusive
use rule doesn't apply. Check with your tax preparer and the IRS for an
exact determination.

If you're a renter, you can deduct the part
of your rent which is attributable to the business share of your house
or apartment. Homeowners can take a deduction based on the depreciation
of the business portion of their house.

There is a limit to the
amount you can deduct. This is the amount equal to the gross income
generated by the business, minus those home expenses you could deduct
even if you weren't operating a business from your home. As an example,
real estate taxes and mortgage interest are deductible regardless of
any business activity in your home, so you must subtract from your
business' gross income the percentage that's allocable to the business
portion of your home. You thus arrive at the maximum amount for
home-related business deductions.

If you are self-employed, you
claim your business deductions on Schedule C, Profit (or Loss) for
Business or Profession. The IRS emphasizes that claiming
business-at-home deductions does not automatically trigger an audit of
your tax return. Even so, it is always wise to keep meticulously within
the proper guidelines, and of course keep detailed records if you claim
business related expenses when you are working out of your home. You
should discuss this aspect of your operation with your tax preparer or a
person qualified in the field of small business tax requirements.

If
your business earnings aren't subject to withholding tax, and your
estimated federal taxes are $100 or more, you'll probably be filing a
Declaration of Estimated Tax, Form 1040-ES. To complete this form, you
will have to estimate your income for the coming year and also make a
computation of the income tax and self-employment tax you will owe. The
self-employment taxes pay for Social Security coverage.

If you
have a salaried job covered by Social Security, the self-employment tax
applies only to the amount of your home business income that, when added
to your salary, reaches the current ceiling. When you file your Form
1040-ES, which is due April 15, you must make the first of four equal
installment payments on your estimated tax bill.

Another good way
to trim your taxes is by setting up a Keogh plan or an Individual
Retirement Account. With either of these, you can shelter some of your
home business income from taxes by investing it for your retirement.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

I walked into the commercial gym yesterday after a long day of
work excited to begin my workout. After warming up I proceeded to the
squat rack to start my resistance training workout. I unfortunately ran
into a bit of a roadblock. I was planning on starting with some Back
Squats but there was a young man in the power rack performing barbell
biceps curls with horrible form (a definite no-no!).

I decided to
go to Plan B and rearrange my workout only to find that the flat benches
were all occupied as well. This trend continued and everywhere I turned
the equipment I desired was being used. I was happy that so many people
were working out but at the same time I was frustrated that my
well-laid plans were spoiled. I learned a long time ago that it is wise
to have a back-up plan in place for situations like this so I decided to
head home and revert to Plan C, which was my home workout routine.

I
have found that having the option to workout at home is essential for
people with busy schedules, for others who do not like going to crowded
gyms, or for people who need a contingency plan for just-in-case
situations (that's me!). Another reason to have a home gym is that
warmer weather has finally arrived and you may be less likely to go to
your commercial gym.

I have helped people design expensive,
well-equipped home gyms and I have helped others design very
cost-effective, space-saving workouts areas. My personal home gym
consists of a Stability Ball, 5lb to 95lb Dumbbells, some Kettlebells,
an adjustable Weighted Vest, Adjustable DB Handles, Elastic Bands, 2kg
to 10kg Medicine Balls, Ankle Weights, an AB Roller, a variety of
Exercise Videos, and a minimal amount of space!

Anyone can have a
Home Gym and there are many reasons to have one. The following list of
questions should help you design a Home Gym that will suit your needs,
your space, and your budget!

Questions To Ask When Building Your Home Gym:

The First Step: Ask Yourself Why?

Why
do you want a home gym? What will it give you that you do not already
have? What is your empowering vision of your ideal physique or athletic
accomplishment? What are your short and long term goals? Always begin
with a vision of the end results in mind, as this will guide you in your
efforts. If you have not developed a vision of what you want to
accomplish at this point, then that is the first thing you need to do.
Develop a plan of attack for building your body and building your home
gym.

Without a plan you might end up disappointed with the lack of
results and frustrated that you bought the wrong equipment. Ask
yourself what kind of results you expect your home gym to deliver? Is
your home gym going to supplement your commercial gym membership (as a
contingency plan)? Will you be doing your cardiovascular exercise
outside or inside on a machine? Will you be doing stretching, strength
training, or both? Is your home gym going to be the only place that you
work out? Think about these things when designing your home gym.

I. How much are you willing to spend ($$$$$$$)?

How
much do you want to spend, plain and simple? If you are just starting
out with an exercise program, you might consider starting small with a
simple, yet very effective, pair of Dumbbells. You can perform a
full-body workout with a pair of dumbbells, some bodyweight exercises,
and with a little knowledgeable of proper exercise technique. If you
want to do it inexpensively, hire a knowledgeable fitness professional
to design an individualized exercise program that you can do with a pair
of Dumbbells in the comfort of your home. I have listed a variety of
items that you might consider adding to your home gym.

Equipment Considerations:

A. Cardiovascular Machine

If
you insist on performing your cardiovascular exercise routine at home
be prepared to spend some money! Be aware, a gym quality treadmill,
stationary bike, rowing ergometer, or elliptical trainer is going to
cost you. You can buy used or refurbished gym quality equipment for a
discounted price and if I wanted a cardio machine for my home this is
probably the route that I would take. If you are thinking, "I'll just
save a few hundred dollars and buy an inexpensive treadmill at the
mall," make sure you do some research and ensure that you will buy
something that is going to last and that will fit y our needs. I know
many people who have purchased flimsy treadmills and regretted it soon
thereafter. There are quality treadmills out there you just have to know
where to look. I would recommend talking to my friend Bob McKinnon at
McKinnon Technical Services (603-644-7539) who knows gym equipment like
the back of his hand. He can point you in the right direction if you
want to!

B. A Multi-Purpose Home Gym Machine

There are
numerous multi-purpose gyms on the market and some are better than
others. Chances are, if you turn on your television late at night and
flip through the channels, you will be exposed to clever marketing using
beautifully sculpted fitness models promising results in six weeks or
less if you purchase their machine! Guess what. You can get results
without a two thousand dollar machine that will most likely be
collecting dust in a year anyway! Why not begin your quest for improved
fitness with a modest investment in a pair of Dumbbells? Why not
purchase a $20 book on how to get into shape? How about meeting with
someone who specializes in coaching people through the process of
positive physical change such as fitness professional or Registered
Dietician? Infomercials are notorious for clever marketing and they can
be very compelling. Avoid impulsive buying and do some research first
before purchasing an expensive multi-gym. I recommend consulting a
qualified fitness professional about the usefulness of such a machine,
interviewing people who have that machine, and possibly even
test-driving one before you make this decision. I have to mention that
every Spring and Fall I see countless multi-gyms sitting out on
someone's lawn as part of the annual yard sale. I wonder why that is?

C. Barbells

If
I had the room in my apartment, I would go out and buy a Barbell today!
With a 45 lb. Olympic Barbell you can perform a wide variety of
exercises in a variety of different ways. If you are an athlete, you
have the space available, and you want to improve your sports
performance, learning how to correctly perform the Olympic Weightlifting
movements (Clean and Jerk, Snatch, and all the variations) can take
your performance to the next level! To name a few, exercises such as
Squats, Overhead Squats, Deadlifts, Bent over Rows, Bench Presses,
Overhead Presses, and Upright Rows can be performed. I would recommend
having an adjustable Power Rack and adjustable bench to augment the
versatility of the barbell. Space and total cost are big factors when
considering purchasing a barbell.

D. Dumbbells

If you want
to save money and space, dumbbells are the way to go. You might consider
two to three sets of dumbbells (they can be purchased at a sporting
goods store for any where between $.35-$.75/pound (In Concord, NH, Check
out Olympia Sports in the Mall, Sears, Target, Walmart, Northeast
Fitness, or check out the newspapers for the least expensive way to
go!). I prefer the metal dumbbells but there are also rubber coated and
adjustable dumbbells available. "Power Blocks," (perform a search on the
internet to learn more about these) are adjustable dumbbells and are a
great tool that take up a lot less space in your home gym, offers great
versatility, and offers adjustable resistance to suit your needs. There
are also other forms of adjustable dumbbells that consist of two
handles, collars, and series of different size weight plates.

When
selecting weights, it wise to start light and gradually purchase
heavier dumbbells as you need them. I am able to perform wide variety of
exercises with Dumbbells. If your goal is fat-loss, then a properly
designed resistance training program that incorporates multi-joint
Dumbbell exercises will help you achieve your goals more efficiently
than many gym machines that "isolate" certain muscle groups. Remember,
the more muscle groups that you incorporate, the more energy your body
burns, and the better your results will be! Exercise technique is a
factor but I'll happily let you know that I have taught 90-year-old
women and 11-year-old boys how to perform the most "difficult" Dumbbell
exercises with pristine form.

E. Medicine Balls

Medicine
Balls are a great tool depending upon your fitness goals and your
current training level. For an athlete in search of sports performance
enhancement, Medicine Balls are a great tool because they can be
accelerated in a rapid fashion through many planes of motion. If general
fitness is your goal, you can perform many traditional gym exercises
with a Medicine Ball as well. Medicine balls come in all shapes, sizes,
weights, and colors. Be sure that the ball you pick suits your needs. By
the way, these are also great for outdoor workouts on a sunny day!

F. Benches and Stability Balls:

A
bench can be a great tool that will allow you to perform more exercises
during your home workout sessions. Some benches are adjustable and
offer great versatility while others are just fixed benches. Space is a
concern for many people and that makes the Stability Ball (a.k.a. Swiss
Ball) a great alternative to a bench. With a Stability Ball you can
perform inclined, seated, prone, supine, floor, and a number of lower
body exercises. A knowledgeable fitness professional could teach you how
to perform a full-body workout with a Stability Ball and a pair of
dumbbells. There are a number of different ways to use it in order to
maximize your home workout routines. Not only can it replace a more
expensive exercise machine or bench, but it can also double as a chair,
take up less space, and challenge your body's balance in ways that a
stable bench/machine cannot.

G. Resistance Bands/Tubes:

The
cable pulley system at your local gym offers a number of exercises that
can increase the variety of your workouts tremendously. An alternative
to the cable pulley system for your home gym could be resistance bands
or tubing that you can tie to a pillar in the basement of fix in a
closed door. You can buy tubing that comes with handles already attached
in some fitness catalogs or you could just tie a loop in one end to
make your own makeshift handle. It is important to mention that elastic
resistance training has many benefits and many inherent flaws. If you
understand how to properly combine elastic resistance training with
inertial (free weight training) you can maximize your results! A
knowledgeable exercise professional can help you design your home gym to
take advantage of these tools.

H. Exercise Videos:

There
are many great exercise videos out there (and a lot more bad ones!).
There are videos for Yoga, Step Aerobics, Tae-Bo, Pilates, Strength
Training, Stability Ball Training, and every other imaginable fitness
topic out there. Check out your local sporting goods store or Borders
for a selection of exercise videos. The key is to find a couple videos
that you enjoy and that give you the workout that you are looking for.

Friday, March 8, 2013

This is by no means an exhaustive list of what's available in the
area of prefabricated homes and buildings. This article is to introduce
you to the world prefab. If you're in the industry, you'll probably be
cringing about now at the word "prefab". But, the word is one that has
become synonymous with homes and buildings that have been partially or
fully assembled in a factory setting.

I for one am excited to see the latest versions of modern prefabs
emerging globally. They're well thought out, beautiful, and
energy-efficient.

And to anyone who has any doubts about the
quality of today's prefab homes, I'd ask, would you rather buy a house
whose parts have all been crafted outdoors exposed to the elements -- by
hand. Or, would you rather buy a house built in a factory setting to
tight specs exceeding that of site-built homes. I say exceeding, because
a normal site-built home doesn't have to endure the rigors of
transportation.

1. Manufactured

Single-family
residential dwellings consisting of one, two or more sectional units
and constructed to Federal HUD code. Zoning regulations and ordinances
of the local Municipality or County might not permit use of mobile and
manufactured homes in all areas of their jurisdiction.

2. Modular

Modular
refers to a method of building a home, rather than a type of home. A
modular home can be built in a factory from a stock modular home plan or
from a customized plan, to the state, local or regional codes of where
the home will be set up. Modular homes have not typically experienced
the zoning restrictions and discriminative ordinances applicable to
manufactured and mobile homes.

3. Panelized

Panelized homes
are factory-built homes in which panels -- whole walls with windows,
doors, wiring, and outside siding -- are transported to the site and
assembled. Panels are made from insulating foam sandwiched between two
layers of structural material. The panels are lightweight and might
already be filled with insulation when they arrive on the site. The
homes must meet the state or local building codes of where they are
sited.

4. Steel-frame

Steel framing is an equivalent to
conventional stick frame or post & beam home design where the
structural lumber is replaced by steel studs and trusses or steel posts
and beams. Light-Gauge Framing System features screw-together,
galvanized stud-and-truss, grid-type construction system built on 4-foot
center.Red-Iron Metal Post & Beam Systems features bolt-together,
pre-engineered post-and-beam-type framing system that uses the red-iron
steel "C" beams on 8-foot center. The prefabricated home built with this
method can be single-story, two-story, and even tri-level home.

Unlike conventional wood framed home that requires interior walls to
support the roof, the higher strength-to-weight ratio of steel house
allows to span greater distances with less material and fewer supports.
The result is higher floor layout and interior design flexibility.

This category includes
wood-framed factory-built houses or cabins where building materials are
factory-cut to design specifications and transported to the site to be
assembled. PrefabExpo.com presents prefab building kits designed as
wood-framed (also known as balloon-frame, 2 x 4, 2 x 6 or stick-built
construction) as well as prefabricated home kit / cabin kit using
post-frame method. The homes or cabins must meet local or state building
codes of the area where they will be sited.

6. Cedar

According
to Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, cedar is aromatic to people, and
problematic to insects: The heartwood of northern white cedar produces
organic compounds called thujaplicins - which create that fresh,
pleasant cedar aroma. But to insect pests, such as moths and termites,
cedar just plain stinks. They'll avoid cedar homes and instead search
out inviting, tasty pine structures.

Cedar home kits include
everything you need to build the home, itself. That is to say, the
walls, the floor, the ceiling, the windows and doors. But your
foundation, plumbing and electrical system are not usually included in a
kit.

7. Timberframe

Timber framing is a specific type of
post and beam construction in which a frame is created from solid wood
timbers that are then connected by any one of the following wooden
joints: mortise and tenon, dovetails, or scarfs secured with hardwood
pegs. The frame is covered with any one of a number of enclosure
systems. Normally the timbers remain exposed to the interior of the
building.

Timber frame structures exhibit a strength and aesthetic
quality not found in conventionally framed houses. The timbers are
pre-cut, shaped, and finished at the factory, then sent to the
construction site, where they can be quickly assembled by a crew,
routinely using cranes to lift the bents and beams into place. The use
of quality wood, enhanced by joinery that compares with fine cabinet
making, maximizes the strength of the timberframe structure. Joinery is
the heart of the entire structure.

8. Log

Log homes provide
their owners with a comforting and relaxing sense of informality and
simplicity. The mass of logs produces heating and cooling benefits, and
reduces noise transmission into and throughout the home. These are very
attractive characteristics, but there are also challenges in
construction and limitations in decorating. These aspects require
special design considerations and have unusual maintenance requirements.
Basic Kits Are...

WALLS ONLY: The walls-only log home package
includes all the logs for the outside walls, including fasteners. Roof
beams and staircases may be added.

STRUCTURAL SHELL: Shell This
package includes everything that's in the walls-only package, plus all
components necessary to keep the weather out, such as exterior doors,
windows, and the roofing system.

The circle is the strongest geometrical
shape we recognize, and this factor likely influenced builders of
circular homes for thousands of years. Prefabricated circular buildings
have been built as cabins, studios, homes, offices or community halls
and convention centers.

Most of today's prefabricated circular homes and cabins offered
across the country use conventional wood-frame or post & beam
construction method. These homes and cabins are ideally suited to take
the full advantage of locations offering exciting panoramic views, and
to incorporate factor of the surroundings into the home design.

10. Dome

Geodesic
Dome is using triangular networks forming hexagons and pentagons and
creating a free-span, spacious environment of spherically shaped
structure requiring no internal supports. This results in large
flexibility for utilizing interior space to implement floor designs not
limited by structural restrictions. Because of the structural strength
of the shape, the domes have a far better record of withstanding
tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes than cube-shaped structures of
conventional homes.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Working at home, from home, in your pajamas, in the nude, at the
beach, working from bed or the easy chair - these are all the images and
joys of home working that Kate and I enjoy and many others too. Kate
and I sell Real Estate; that is perhaps the most popular telecommuting,
work at home; pick your own hours job, in the country.

There are
some difficulties that go with working at home. Perhaps half of the
people who start working from home don't succeed, mostly due to lack of
personal discipline or family discipline.

There are freedoms of
working from home and along with freedoms go responsibilities. Those
freedoms of working at home can also be challenges to responsibility
which will lower your production and moral as you fail to meet deadlines
and quotas.

I have been telecommuting or teleworking; since we
imported the term teleworking from the Brits and it's now used by our
Federal Government; and believe me I would rather work from home and my
car than from a cubical. Since I entered the work force, I prefer me as
my boss and get more done that way. I get to decide importances and have
seldom found a boss that is not prone to wanting sillier busy-work than
I'm willing to do.

One boss I had, my brother, had over 150
pieces of paper to fill out for selling a mobile home. On my own, I used
two - the sales contract and the certificate of title. In the 8 hours
it took me to fill out the 150 pieces of paper, I'd get "interrupted" by
sales calls and showings of homes, so the paperwork of one sale took a
week at times.

As a home-worker I get to determine what works and
what doesn't. One boss I had, a client who bought about 50 properties
from me, was convinced that I should advertise her properties for sale
with no price - so I would get calls. That was, and is, stupid. I did
not want calls. I wanted prospective purchasers.

One of my clients
wanted me to run these blind ads, ads with no price and I wouldn't do
it. So, he placed an ad in the New York Times and another in The Wall
Street Journal. "Waterfront home, 3 BR, 2BA, Fireplace, Boat Dock, Scrn
Prch, at the Beach -- $39,000" and put my phone number on the ad. I got
several hundred phone calls and not one, that's right not one, was a
prospective purchaser. Why? Because it was a trailer on a rented lot in a
trailer park and it was 500 miles from New York City. His idea was to
make the phone ring; an altered priority. Now, when you go to my web
site you will find properties for sale that tell everything about the
property and usually with a map.

You see I don't want calls that
are not interested in what I have to sell at the price I need to get. As
my own boss I do the ads my way and not based on somebody else's "idea"
of what is right or workable. These freedoms, chief among them the
freedom FROM idiocy of bosses, are precious. However, I also have to
find out what works and take chances without a boss to blame the errors
on.

Working at home is great, but not easy. To excel; to make it
even, you must have exceptional personal discipline, organizing skills
and persistence. Those who work less at home than in the office will
certainly make far less working at home than working in the office. In
the office you may take a thirty minute coffee break and not get caught.
At home, with that sort of discipline, your coffee break may go on for
hours or even days. Or you may just sleep in and not even get up to make
the coffee. for hours, days or weeks. And there goes the rent or
mortgage payment and there goes the house.

Working at home is
freeing. There is no dress code. You can work in your pajamas, your
shorts, or even work at home in the buff - naked. However, we all know
that when we dress up, at least some of us act more professional. And
with no bosses slipping by the cubical to check over your shoulder -
what are you working on?

I will tell you this: when I did some
work as a business consultant for a large consulting firm - the PRIMARY
CAUSE OF BUSINESS FAILURE WAS COMPUTER GAMES. Believe it or not, almost
every one of the businesses that was going under and had to hire us had
one or more people playing Solitaire or some other computer game dozens
of hours a month. Most of the time it was the boss, his wife, his
girlfriend, or all three that were bankrupting the business with
solitaire or Doom. When no one else is forcing you to produce - some
people won't. Here are some reasons that those who have failed at
telecommuting have failed.

Lack of Family Discipline: When you
work at home you can also tend to family and that is great. I love it.
However, it also allows for magnified interruptions. Child care can
easily consume more than an entire day, if you don't learn to discipline
your children in an effective and nurturing way. If you just yell "Be
quiet I'm working." They will find a way to get your attention - no
matter what - and it will often be at just the wrong time - like when
Mr. Big is on the phone, or when you have procrastinated and the
deadline is NOW.

If you must fix dinner for your husband, change
the baby, take the other three kids to all those dozens of lessons, meet
them at the bus, do the dishes, vacuum the floors, do the laundry, wax
the floors, oil the antiques, sweep the driveway and talk to your
several unemployed friends on the phone. then you won't likely succeed
as a telecommuter.

Older kids are even more of a challenge if you
are not willing to raise disciplined kids - and there are very few of
those these days. If you have no kids, but have dogs, parrots, hobbies,
books, TV shows, and all sorts of other interests that take you away
from production - you won't make it either. How would you like to employ
someone who could only work when there was nothing else taking a senior
priority in attention?

Food: Snacking, gourmet cooking, coffee
making, refrigerator door swinging and ice-cream eating can take a huge
amount of time in a day. And, then you either must set aside twice as
much time for exercise, or set aside money for the new and larger
wardrobe. Many people, who work at home, could be said to be working
Chip-Side. Chips, dips, sodas, candy, a few extra snacks beside the
computer and soon you will need a larger, wider, more powerful chair and
reinforcing slats under the mattress. The upside is that your social
life will die and you'll have more time to work and pay for the food and
larger clothing. Can we say Tent Clothing?

Sloth: Laziness, slow
motion, procrastination and self-interruption are killers of the home
worker. If one of your motivations is to sleep in, you had better be
similarly motivated to work late. You will need to learn to produce, to
promote yourself, do market yourself and your product and
procrastination is self-destructive. Snooze and loose. One of my very
productive friends sleeps until 2:30 pm every day. He calls me on his
way to his first cup of coffee and I welcome him to the day with "Good
morning Lee!" he chuckles but in about 7 minutes he is off the phone and
planning his day over his next cup of coffee. He allows no
interruptions from any phones until 5:30 pm and works every night
through until about 3 am when he answers his e-mail and then goes to bed
a little after 4 am. He is a home designer and his clients are builders
who take care of building during the day and talk with him from their
home to his, at night. He is not sloth. He just works the night shift
and does it well.

My youngest son is an artist, a very successful one: http://www.AbraxasArt.com
He works best from afternoon to early morning as well. There are many
who work at home that work the graveyard shift and find that working
when others sleep, allows them to be more productive and creative. So
sleep in if you will or take off early if you will, but doing both will
knock you out of business. When you work at home, you work from to-do
lists, appointments scheduled, and goals set. But, if you don't get
enough work done in a unit of time, you won't get paid well. You must
learn to plan your work and work your plan, or else.

Communication
Sins: If you spend any time on frivolous e-mail, phone calls, faxes,
meetings, stops at the coffee shop, golf, tennis, poker - and they are
not planned to produce income - you will soon chat, gossip, play and
fritter your income, savings and life away.

Yes, I WORK at a
coffee shop nearby. They have high speed network lines for my laptop. I
also wear my Logo hat, my business name pin on my chest, and have a
large name and business card taped to my computer lid, so that it can be
easily read from a distance as I work. I also make a couple of phone
calls a day to those in related businesses, such as my friend the home
designer.

I do a lot of e-mail and anyone who sends me forwarded
junk is chastised, every time. Anyone who sends me hoaxes is sent back
the hoax reference and I send it to "Reply All" as the sort of people
who send that stuff send with everyone's address visible about 99% of
the time.

I also get quite a little bit of email, unsolicited,
from some of my contacts about things which I'm not interested in. I
thank them and let them know what I AM interested in and that I only
want that, in a nice way. I get a few hundred SPAM a day. My filters
handle all but a few. The rest; I speed read most of it and often find
something I can use for my own marketing, not often, so I spend an
average of about 2 seconds on each mailing.

I stopped by another
home-worker a few months ago and he was playing solitaire, taking calls
about jokes and gossip, and was constantly involved in frivolous e-mail.
Last week he got a salaried job, at just about minimum wage, he made
almost nothing working at home.

Communication sins include
incoming and outgoing communications. Television, talk radio, music,
telephone, entertaining web sites, porno, dating sites and chat, social
calls coming or going, are all time stealers and production killers.

Slovenliness:
When you work in a multi-tiered, hyper managed, upper-management,
middle-management, worker bee, hierarchy and each level checks and
double checks all the levels below and edits everything on the way up
the line or out the door - you may find much of that missing when you
work at home. You must learn to be your own editor. You must learn to be
your own manager. You must learn to be your own Quality Control and
Efficiency Expert. If you let slovenly work out your door, off your
desk, in the mail or e-mail; you certainly and simultaneously send a bad
message about your worth and professionalism. Doing slovenly work will
result in slovenly pay.

Home Sweet Home Syndrome: If you are
accustomed to turning off the productivity switch when you arrive home,
it may be nearly impossible to learn that home is where the job is. If
you are used to kicking off your heels, slipping on your robe, lounging
in a hot tub with a book and candles, lying on the couch with the paper
or any of the myriad activities of a leisure home life; you may not be
able to work at home productively. And we get right back to the crux of
it all - self-discipline.

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco, Sex and Even
Music: A glass of wine at home, after work, can be wonderful. A glass of
wine while you work at home can be horribly anti-productive. A smoke
break at work is at worst embarrassing, at home, you can easily develop a
two, three or four pack a day habit and you slide into chain smoking
and larger and larger ashtrays. If you are a "recreational" drug user
and work at home, you can easily get "hooked on that feeling" and that
feeling is not one of accomplishment.

And, oh the wonders of
staying in bed with your lover, of afternoon delight and hot nights -
but it can soon eat up the day. Many, many folks enjoy relaxing to
music, dancing to a tune or otherwise letting good music of their choice
take their mind into the sublime. That is not where work gets done. If
your mind is on the music, it is not on the job. Concentration is a
primary requirement of working at home and without it you will soon be
incompetent and unpaid.

Workaholism: Workaholics are often
stressed out and need to go home once in a while for a break, or perhaps
a break-down. If you are driven to work day and night, as I am, make
certain that you love your work so much that you'd do it as recreation.
Fortunately I love my work so much that it is not work to me at all.
Part of the reason is that I only do the kind of work I love and not any
other kind; there are a few things that other Realtors do that I don't
do. But, I take the energy that I could use doing those things I don't
like and put that much more energy into the other 99% of my profession
that I love.

Yes, I'm up before dawn and work often past midnight -
today is one of those days - but there is no part of today or many
other days that I do anything I don't love. Yes, I was out with a
prospective client from 5 pm to 9 pm, came home to 83 e-mails and now
I'm pounding out another article and NOT ONE SECOND of that time was I
unhappy about what I was doing. I love it all. Darned good thing!!!